1. Field of the Invention
This invention in general relates to the field of optical assemblies and, in particular, to a method and device for mounting and aligning optical components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In electro-optical products comprising a radiation source, such as a laser printer or a scanner, replacement of the radiation source usually requires that the optical elements used for focusing or collimation be realigned. While the relevant art discloses various methods and devices for mounting optical components, most designs do not provide for passive alignment for convenient interchangeablity of optical components. Moreover, the process of optical realignment may require specialized fixturing and, thus, make it difficult to directly replace such radiation sources in the field.
The electro-optical product may make use of a modular radiation source, such as that exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,052 issued to Doggett which discloses a laser diode and lens assembly adapted for placement into a standard electronic package. The lens is immovably adhered to the laser diode housing after an alignment procedure has been completed. By way of another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,761 issued to Takashima et al. discloses a laser diode module in which a collimating lens is secured in a mounting mechanism which allows the lens to be tilted in an alignment procedure.
Additionally, for laser optical systems in which positioning and alignment of optical components is very critical, the effects of temperature changes on the component materials becomes important. Certain optical systems, such as those exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,895 issued to Ikeda and U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,238 issued to Leary, address this problem by suitable support geometry or by incorporating additional components having different coefficients of expansion.
While the relevant art thus describes a variety of methods and devices for mounting optical components, there remains a need for improvements that offer advantages and capabilities not found in presently available methods and devices, and it is a primary object of this invention to provide such improvements.
It is another object of the invention to provide for a method of passively aligning optical elements with an assembly component such as a radiation source or another optical element.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide for such a method and device which uses a minimum number of components.
It is still another object of the invention to provide for such a method and device which minimizes thermal effects on the alignment of optical elements.
Other objects of the invention will be obvious, in part, and, in part, will become apparent when reading the detailed description to follow.